(I've spoken with several museum folks recently who purchased 3D
printing gear and still have the goodies sitting in a box in a storage
closet because they can't sort out how to use them inside the museum,
not just behind the scenes ...)

There is no denying that the end result of creating a digital file (either by laser scanning or through software programs) and producing an actual usable object with a 3D printer is super. But the actual process of waiting for a 3D printer to produce that object is like watching paint (or plastic filament) dry.

Which is perhaps fine for a museum program, or a multi-session museum class, but are their ways to leverage the inherent "coolness" and flexibility of 3D printers in the rapid-response, "show me something now!" context of many interactive exhibition galleries?

So in this edition of The Exhibit Doctor, I'm asking for examples of successful exhibit-centered ways of using 3D printers.

Please share your successes, failures, and bright ideas in the "Comments" section below this post and I'll round them up to share in a follow-up posting.

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